Tag: freelance

If you’re on a short term contract (i.e. less than 1 year) at one of London’s Visual Effects facilities, here’s a question for you:

Why do the facilities give you four weeks paid holiday?

Two reasons…

1) Because if the facilities gave you any less paid holiday, it would be illegal!

2) Because the media and entertainment union BECTU (your visual effects union) launched a legal challenge against UK legislation in 1999 taking the fight for freelance contract workers all the way to the European Court of Justice.

BECTU was successful and the courts ruled in June 2001 that the UK government was in breach of European employment law in denying freelance workers and those on short-term contracts the right to four weeks paid annual leave.

So never forget, before June 2001 if you were a freelance contract worker, you were not entitled to four weeks paid holiday like other staff colleagues. Now, thanks to BECTU fighting for your rights, paid holiday for freelance contract workers is the law.

Do you want a good reason to join the union? That’s a pretty good reason. How about these…

Do you want to keep your four weeks of paid holiday?

Do you think that businesses would like to get out of having to give you paid holiday if they could?

Do you think their lobbyists are working on ways to erode or remove this benefit right now?

BECTU is the only force that fights for your interests when legislation is reviewed or new laws come up for a vote.